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There's a new software update rolling out to the Shield Android TV today. Shield upgrade 3.3 brings several improvements to pass-through audio in apps, and also adds an updated version of the Vulkan graphics API. This update is still based on Marshmallow, though.
Here's a blast from the past: Google's new phone is having trouble pairing or staying connected to Bluetooth in many cars. In 2015 we went through this with the Nexus phones on Marshmallow, and this year it's the Pixel with 7.1. Google is aware of the issue, and is actively investigating.
Twitter launched the Vine video sharing app in 2013, and it was a moderate success. Other apps added similar quick video features, but Vine never seemed like a high priority for Twitter. The company announced today that it's discontinuing the Vine app in the coming months, but it's not deleting your Vines... at least not yet.
Jaybird has been one of the most high-profile makers of Bluetooth headphones in recent years. In fact, Logitech bought the company for cash a while back. The Jaybird Freedom earbuds were alright, but not the most well-received product from Jaybird. A lot of people stuck with the Jaybird X2 to see what the X3 looked like. Now, the Jaybird X3 Wireless Sport Headphones are a thing. They'll be out next month for $129.99.
The new Google Pixel is the first place you can get true integration with Assistant. Sure, a preview version of Assistant exists in Allo, but the Pixel version is the real deal. The same thing will be part of Google Home too. You can now add the Google Assistant channel to your IFTTT account to really unlock the power of voice commands. If there's anything you want to control via IFTTT, you can do it with Assistant.
Remember when HTC was the top Android OEM making devices like the EVO 4G and HTC Incredible? Those days are long gone as other device makers have risen to prominence, and HTC is struggling to stay afloat. There was some hope that its deal to manufacture the Pixel for Google would turn things around, but the newly released Q3 2016 results show another big loss. It's not as big as recent ones, though.
The OnePlus 3 was a marked improvement over the company's "2016 Flagship killer" OnePlus 2. OnePlus is focused on the spec sheet, with the OP3 packing a Snapdragon 820 and 6GB of RAM. The company is now rumored to be working on a faster version of the device called the OnePlus 3T. According to @evleaks, it'll cost around $80 more.
If you follow some of the more popular YouTubers, you might have noticed some spiffy new screens at the end of their videos as of late. Those are video End Screens, and now they're available to everyone. End Screens provide a handy interface for linking to other videos and sites inside your video without all the clunky workarounds people were using before.
The Google Pixel is a great phone—even David likes it, and David does not like things as a rule. It has the best smartphone camera Google has ever sold, but it's not without its problems. Users have been reporting a distracting halo lens flare in photos taken in bright light, but a fix is apparently on the way. Google says an upcoming OTA will address this issue with the power of math.
If you didn't order a Pixel on launch day, you'll probably be waiting a while. Several versions of the phone are sold out, and those that aren't gone are showing shipping estimates of 3-4 weeks. Google has issued a short statement on the delays, and it blames you, the consumer. See, people are just buying so damn many Pixels, Google can't keep up.
Space is not lawless—it's up to the Space Marshals to keep the peace and go after the bad guys. There are plenty of bad guys to be gone after in Space Marshals 2. As you can probably guess, it's the sequel to the well-received original Space Marshals. It retains the tactical top-down combat, adding a whole new story and levels.
Skype is one of the most common ways to make video and VoIP calls, but there are a number of annoyances that seem to be carried over from traditional phone calls. It doesn't need to be this way, though, so Microsoft announced a few months ago that it planned to modernize Skype. Now, the first wave of changes are set to roll out, and they'll be coming to the Android app in the next few weeks.
You probably heard all the buzz earlier around that new Xiaomi phone with basically no bezels. That device rather overshadowed the slightly more conventional (and probably more usable) Mi Note 2. This device has high-end specs, a curved display, and support for global LTE.
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WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging apps on the planet, so even small changes warrant some attention. This isn't a small change, though. This is a big one. WhatsApp is rolling out support for video calls in the Android app, but not everyone has the feature yet.
When Pushbullet adopted a subscription model, some casual users had trouble justifying the cost. Seeing an opportunity, joaoapps released Join. It has many of the same notification and messaging features as Pushbullet, but it only costs $5 for full access. The app has gotten a big update today to v1.0.27. Despite the inauspicious version number, there are a lot of big changes in this one.
The unlocked Moto Z Play (code name Addison) recently hit virtual shelves after the Verizon version appeared a few weeks back, and now there's some kernel source to go with it. Motorola tends to be pretty quick with these releases, but it's been a little slower this year. Oh well, developer types can grab the open source files on Motorola's GitHub page right now.
I suspect many of you have stopped playing Pokémon GO. Not only is it getting chilly in many areas, but there just isn't a lot to do once you've caught all the common Pokémon. You might be tempted to fire up the game again soon. A new update is rolling out with some welcome improvements, and there's a special Halloween event coming up in a few days.
Android Pay is most commonly used to pay for things in real life via NFC technology, but from the start Google aimed to make it compatible with online payment systems. That hasn't really caught on, but a new partnership with Visa and MasterCard could help. Not to be left behind, Samsung Pay is also working with MasterCard.
The era of the Google Cast app has come to an end—long live Google Home. An update is rolling out right now in the Play Store that includes the Home rebranding. It still does the same things, but the layout has changed. You can also expect some features for the Google Home hardware in this app as soon as the device ships.
It's the year 2016, so you really shouldn't have to dial in to listen to your voicemail like some kind of caveman. What's next? A telescoping antenna on top of your phone? As of Android 7.1, Verizon customers with Nexus (and Pixel) devices have access to visual voicemail in the stock phone app.